Bravo for all seasons

FOR: Strong, easy pulling power of a good diesel engine, plenty of carrying capacity, reasonable comfort and full 4WD ability.

28 June 2011Jonathan Hawley

FOR: Strong, easy pulling power of a good diesel engine, plenty of carrying capacity, reasonable comfort and full 4WD ability.

AGAINST: Difficult access to cargo area with canopy fitted, large turning circle.

RATING: three *** (out of 5)

Look at it one way, and Mazda's Bravo SDX dual cab is at least four vehicles in one. For starters, it's a commercial vehicle with a one-tonne payload, so it's a utility. But with the optional fibreglass canopy in place, it's also a tougher than usual station wagon of sorts.

It's got four-wheel-drive with a proper set of low-range gears, so it's definitely an off roader. And because it has four doors and a back seat, it's also a family car.

Confusing? Well, sort of. The dual cab concept is nothing new, sacrificing some of a pick-up truck's tray length in favour of a larger, four-door cabin. This is the flagship - if that's the right word when talking about commercial vehicles - of the new B-series Bravo range, and according to Mazda should banish the idea that working vehicles are for work alone, but can also double as family transport and for weekend workouts.

There's a bewildering number of variants in the B-Series range. Permutations of ute or trayback bodies, petrol or diesel engines, single cabin, extended "cab plus" or dual cab cockpits and the choice of two- or four-wheel drive take the number of models to 14, and that's not including the choice of manual or automatic transmissions.

Granted, the basic Bravo is a workhorse. For $19,195 you get a single cab chassis with a five-speed manual transmission, a 2.6-litre petrol engine and not much else. Go to the top of the tree, however, and things are more interesting. And, for anyone drawn to a four-wheel-drive with more carrying capacity, it's maybe an alternative to the normal all-terrain wagon which is worth considering.

Bravo Dual Cab prices start at $32,525 for the petrol-engined version, although to get the new, 2.5-litre turbo-diesel engine you'll have to fork out another $2,500. Choose the SDX diesel version driven here, which is fitted with things like power windows, alloy wheels and other goodies, and you're looking at a $37,990 proposition, and that's not including the rear canopy.

The turbo-diesel is certainly a cracker, with strong torque characteristics low in its rev range which suit the sort of relaxed, grunty performance you'd expect from a pick-up ute.

While on paper it doesn't look exceptionally powerful, with just 86kW available to move nearly two tonnes of ute, it's the available pulling power which sets it apart.

There's 280Nm of torque available at a very low 2000rpm, and because peak power is achieved only 1500rpm further up the rev scale, it's obviously not an engine which needs to be pushed hard for maximum acceleration. Not that there's terribly much on that front anyway: Mazda claims diesel engined, 4x4 versions of the Bravo will scorch to 100 km/h in around 25 seconds - more than twice as long as a normal six-cylinder sedan.

But the engine is quiet for a diesel, without much in the way of clatter even when starting cold, and the effects of the turbocharger are noticeable without being too much like an on-off switch in terms of power delivered. Fuel consumption is quite reasonable, with somewhere between 12 and 13 litres/100km achievable, although the 70-litre fuel tank doesn't give an exceptionally long touring range.

The Bravo is a big vehicle. At more than five metres long it takes up the same sort of room on the road as a Mercedes-Benz S Class, and a wheelbase of three metres also means the turning circle is huge. Doing U-turns and parallel parking in suburban streets takes a little forward planning, and the optional roo-bar on the front makes a handy reference point when manoeuvring close to other vehicles.

That long wheelbase does mean there's quite a bit of room for the unusual packaging challenge of fitting a rear seat and a utility tray, and the Bravo dual cab does offer quite a good compromise between passenger and cargo-carrying capabilities.

The back seat is easily big enough for two adults, but because the seat is low to the floor, leg room isn't huge, but acceptable. Although it might only be used occasionally for carrying passengers, it is nonetheless a handy option for storing more delicate cargo than what might otherwise be sliding around in the cargo area.

The rear tray is obviously shorter than normal, but still quite large.

While the canopy is useful for keeping it contents dry, and relatively secure, it does hinder access to the tray because you have to rear over the tail gate (which only drops to the horizontal thanks to the large rear bumper step) and the low roof makes crawling in difficult.

The Bravo's front suspension is an independent set-up, which is not usually the norm in a four-wheel-drive vehicle, and the rear is a less fancy rigid axle with leaf springs. Ride comfort is quite high, and road holding about on par with most 4x4s' moderate standards, but the extra ground clearance and tough, go anywhere feel make the Bravo a better proposition than many more expensive 4WD wagons.

There's certainly enough comfort in the cockpit, with a driving position not dissimilar to most regular cars, save for the high seating position. In SDX configuration there's plenty of creature comforts, including full carpeting, power windows and electric mirrors, a stereo of quite reasonable sound quality, and plenty of storage space thanks to large door pockets, a bin in the centre console, and even a couple of cup holders.

Okay, then, so who's likely to buy a vehicle such as this? Certainly if a self-employed tradesman needs the load capacity (and tax breaks) of a commercial vehicle during the week, but enough comfort and space to take the family camping on weekends, then it's the perfect thing.

As an alternative to a 4WD wagon, however, the compromises inherent in the utility body with part-time canopy are more restrictive.